Filing Ideas For The Home Office

Paper can be quite tricky to keep organized. Having a list of filing ideas for the home office will help you to streamline your papers so you never lose a bill again. Another great tip to use for your own home office organization.

When you have more papers coming in every single day, finding a way to keep it under control might just be on everyone’s top ten list. Luckily there are many options out there and that means all you need to do is find what works best for you. 

A image of an organized desk with the words Awesome filing ideas for the home office

The key to organizing papers is to be sure you are taking action in a reasonable time frame. You can do this with a weekly planning basket. This is a dropping place for any papers that come into your home that you know need to be dealt with. As an important paper comes in, you toss it into your weekly planning basket. On the same day each week, you will go through each item found inside taking action as needed. This will ensure you never have a missed date, late payment, or lost document again. 

Remember, the trick to finding a paper system that works is to set up things in a way that will ensure you are taking action. This is crucial to keeping papers organized. Lost papers can lead to lost money and that means finding a style that you can stick with is the key to making this all work. 

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Filing Ideas For Home Office

Many people have been working from home for the last two years and finding a space in the home to work was a challenge. Whatever the reason may be paper clutter may have or has gotten out of control. It is time to take back control of the desk and the paper clutter and find a filing system that works for you. Some people need to think outside the box because living in a small space does not allow them to allocate space for a home office. Martha Stewart has helped us to creatively manage and control the paper clutter by using an office bench within a room. This is great for those small spaces and it is a great filing idea for the home office.    

Image that shows the inside of a bench being used to file papers, an insert to hold office supplies such as pens, and a cork board on the top part of the bench.
Source: Martha Stewart   
How can you organize mail in your home office? A mail sorter helps organize the mail so it doesn’t end up accumulating on a table or desk. A mail organizer helps remind us to either pay the bills, fill the paperwork and return it, or simply file it. This easy-to-make mail sorter is perfect to keep us focused on the mail that requires attention. People lead busy lives. The day is filled with work, kids’ schedules, and meetings that can result in the mail being forgotten and this mail sorter can help us to refocus.  

Image of a sewn mail sorter
Source: Craftsyhacks.com
Everyone agrees that tax returns are stressful. Looking for all those important receipts, making sure none have been misplaced or left out can turn into an entire month of searching. Using coupon sorters is genius. All the receipts are conveniently housed in one placed and categorized. All that is needed is to pull each section out, one at a time, add them up, write the totals on a spreadsheet, and voila done! Ready for the bookkeeper or accountant.  

Image of a coupon holder used to sort receipts.
Source: getorganizedhq.com
Mail sorting is one of the sources of paper clutter and there are many ways to keep it under control. Many people are not crafty or do not have time to get crafty. A quick way to organize the mail is to use large envelopes or scrapbook paper and place it in a visible place in the cupboard. This image shows the perfect way to set it up quickly and effortlessly.  

Image showing file folder cut in half. Turned into envelopes and taped inside a cupboard to sort mail.
Source: organizinghomelife.com  
Just like paper needs to be organized, the daily supplies used need to be organized as well. This cute desk organizer in this image helps keep sticky notes, envelopes, pens, and paper clips all in one place. It’s easy to find and easy to access.  

Image showing a metal desk organizer for paper clips, sticky notes, and envelopes.
Source: pursuinglemons.com 
Sometimes the space on the desk is limited. This wall organizer is perfect for those small desk spaces. Keeping it on the wall and close makes it easily accessible and the paper is nicely organized in their sections.  

Image of a metal paper organizer with five slots and is attached to the wall .
Source: pursuinglemons.com 
If desk space is not an issue, this paper-filling idea helps keep your papers all organized in individual files on your desk using a plastic vertical file holder. This makes it easy to quickly find and locate the paper that you need to work on.  

Image of a table paper sorter with five sections and holds file folders.
Source: neathousesweethome.com

When it comes to finding easy ways to organize your papers, I hope this list of filing ideas for the home office gives you the inspiration you need to create a system that works for you. 

More Paper Decluttering Resources to Check Out. 

Get ever more paper and filing inspiration with any of the articles listed below. 

 

2 Comments

  1. Thank you for this post. Paper seems to be my worst enemy! I really needed this, and hope to be paper organized very soon.

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